Readers' viewpoints on casinos

Tuesday

Oct 15, 2013 at 2:20 PM

Casinos are NOT economic "engines."

Casinos are NOT economic "engines."

It is a fallacy promoted by the gambling industry and government that casinos and other forms of gambling are economic "engines." Unlike diverse retail businesses, manufacturing facilities, research and development firms, casinos produce no tangible product that enriches the community at large. They are profitable chiefly for the owners, and more so when they keep as many people on-site by reducing and discouraging competition from the surrounding community.

Casinos create no "added value" for the local economy; they simply suck money from those local businesses and keep it for themselves (the house always wins). The casino's self-centered operation has the effect of reducing the number of dollars available to stimulate and support local businesses.

Besides the initial construction jobs for the casino facility, which might be provided by the local labor pool (a short-term endeavor at best), casinos basically provide only low-paying service jobs. Many employees can be lured away from the local businesses, as casinos create stiff competition for local hotels, B&B's, restaurants, entertainment venues and even retail sales businesses by providing those services at their own venues. What you end up with is a "casino town." As an example of what can happen, go look at the community around Foxwoods and talk to the folks there, as I have.

Don't be fooled by the hype of the casino industry or the slanted, self-serving and unsubstantiated wording of the referendum you will be asked to vote on in November. Vote no on Proposition 1.

Marcus Arthur

Saugerties

Voters should vote no on Proposition 1, which proposes the building of additional casinos in upstate New York.

According to a paper published by the University of Northern Iowa, "A Game Worth Playing? The Distributional Effects of Casino Gambling," the number of problem gamblers in an area roughly doubles following the construction of a casino.

Furthermore, this paper states that the percentage of problem gamblers is higher among poor and minorities. Finally, this paper states that the percentage of family income spent on gambling is higher among the poor, making gambling a regressive tax on the poor.

Proposition 1 proposes an annual fee of $500 on slot machines and table games to fund assistance programs for problem gamblers. New York should not be exploiting the poor and problem gamblers.

A second paper published by Harvard University, "The Casino Gamble in Massachusetts," states that construction of a commercial casino results in little or no change in unemployment rates and about 10 percent more personal bankruptcies.

This paper also states that local government revenue decreased by about 4 percent to 7 percent and that local business earnings were reduced by about 13 percent and that population tends to increase in counties where casinos are built. A higher population with lower government revenue means that governments will have a harder time paying for increased demands on services.

An increase in personal bankruptcies, lowered government revenue and lowered business revenues are all negative factors justifying that this proposition be rejected.

Vote no on Proposition 1.

David Wootton

Saugerties

Vote yes on Proposition 1, the casino bill.

New York did this one right. This will create 2,000 jobs locally and use local labor and products.

Too many times you see things like what has been done in the Town of Montgomery, where millions of your tax dollars from both the state and local town went to support other states like Tennessee. United Natural Foods hired out-of-state contractors who brought their workforce and even building supplies from a state where the cost of living is much less.

Any government that uses my tax money in the form of incentives (like IDA and NY Works) should have me and my local communities' best interest in job growth, both short-term and long-term, in mind.

Support local jobs and make sure you let your local community government know we want our tax dollars to stay right here. Be sure to send a message Nov. 5 — get out and vote.